Student rent blocks appear to have been excluded from RTB, yet students are facing xx% yearly rent increases. A union is taking a test case.“Following advice and counsel from public representatives, internal university colleagues and our own counsel we have filed a case through the RTB against Cúirt na Coiribe Galway.The NUIG Students’ Union will represent a 2017/18 tenant who was a victim of the 18% rent increases. We hope that this will also send a strong message to other management companies of purpose built student accommodation across the country that students and their families will not stand by and allow for their education to be put at risk due to the ever increasing cost of accommodation imposed by these companies.”

The head of Cork City’s Penny Dinners charity, Caitriona Twomey, has called on the Government to spend more money on frontline services in a week which saw the death of four men who used the service.

In an impassioned Facebook post that has sparked a huge online reaction, Ms Twomey said more needed to be done to help those impacted by addiction and mental health problems and to sort out the rental crisis, which has left many working people unable to afford food.

"Greedy Landlords are destroying the Rental Market and forcing people to become Homeless ( Tax the Crap out of these landlords ) and control the Rental Market."